


what's your favourite word? do you like kissing girls?

by ohprongs



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: AU, Background Luke/Jocelyn, College AU, F/F, Human AU, TMIFemslash Winter Gift Exchange 2016, art student!clary, background Magnus/Alec, background maia/lily, background simon/raphael if you squint, barista!clary, clizzy au, coffee shop AU, pathology student!izzy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-26
Updated: 2016-12-26
Packaged: 2018-09-09 06:28:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8879494
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohprongs/pseuds/ohprongs
Summary: Clary holds out a pathology course book. “I think you forgot this.” Her cheeks go a little pink when their fingers brush as Izzy takes the book from her, and Izzy smiles.“Thanks, lifesaver.”Clary shrugs. “You have nice writing, by the way,” she says, eyes never leaving Izzy’s even though her cheeks colour more, which -Izzy’s heart skips. The note she left - I think you’re super cute - found it’s mark.“If you think I’ve got nice writing you should see my phone number,” Izzy suggests with a smile.(or, the clizzy coffee shop au, based on the music video for she keeps me warm by mary lambert)





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [aleclightwoodisbetterthanyou (bowtiewontlie)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/bowtiewontlie/gifts).



> written for the [tmifemslash winter gift exchange](http://tmifemslash.tumblr.com). hope you like it, [aleclightwoodisbetterthanyou](http://aleclightwoodisbetterthanyou.tumblr.com)!
> 
> title from _she keeps me warm_ by mary lambert

****Izzy’s holed up in her corner of Java Jones, back against the bookshelves lining the wall and legs pulled up under herself when the barista first comes over.

“Hey, sorry to bother you. Are you done with that?” she asks, pointing to the empty cup and plate on the table beside Izzy. 

Izzy glances up, intending only to flash the barista a quick smile of assent, when she sees her properly. Unruly wisps of ginger hair escape from her ponytail and frame her face, and when she smiles at Izzy it’s like the whole room suddenly lights up.

“Yeah, thanks,” Izzy says, setting her phone on her book to mark her page. She rests her chin delicately on her two forefingers and tilts her head to the side. 

“I haven’t seen you in here before,” she comments. The barista shifts the tray she’s carrying to her other hip and shrugs.

“It’s my first week,” the barista explains. “Are you a regular?”

Izzy’s lips curve into a smile. Now this barista’s working here, she might just become one. 

“Not usually, but around finals time you can expect to see a lot of me,” she says, half laughing, half internally crying at the prospect of her exams.

The barista’s eyes go wide and she nods. “Tell me about it,” she says. “I don’t even know how I’m going to cope this semester.”

“You’re a student?” Izzy asks. 

The barista nods. “Paying my way through art school by working in a coffee shop. Pretty cliché, right?”

Izzy cocks her head. “Next time I order from you I’m expecting some pretty decent latte art.”

The barista laughs a little bit and the sound washes over Izzy pleasantly. 

“I’ll practice every night,” the barista says, then glances to the counter. She picks up Izzy’s cup and plate. “I should get back. It was nice talking to you.”

Izzy nods, seeing the barista off with a little wave. She returns back to her textbook, trying to get back into what she was reading, but she can’t help her eyes drifting to the pretty barista every now and then.

∞

It’s another week or so before Izzy gets the chance to go back to the coffee shop for a proper sit down study session. She’s been in labs all day Monday through Thursday, and on Friday morning she got the opportunity to work shadow a forensic pathologist after a friend of her parents’ friend pulled some strings.

Friday evening she’d just about collapsed, but she had a meeting with her study group for their latest paper, so she dragged herself to that, and then gave herself the reward of a night in with ice cream and _Grey’s Anatomy_ reruns. 

She wrote out a colour-coordinated revision timetable and cleaned her room on Saturday, activities that allowed her to be somewhat productive whilst actually procrastinating. On Saturday evening, her roommate Maia convinced her to come out to her favourite bar, and the two of them gossiped over cocktails. They laughed so much Izzy could practically feel the stress melting off her shoulders.

The tension returned on Sunday when Izzy met her mother for brunch, though. Izzy doesn’t know why Maryse insists on the things, because they always dissolve into ‘how many ways can I throw digs at my children’s life choices without being too explicit about it’ on her mother’s part and ‘how many viable escape routes can I find’ on Izzy’s. 

So Izzy’s still sparking with residual frustration at her mom when she enters Java Jones on Sunday afternoon, having sought somewhere relaxed to study. She could have stayed in her room, but Maia’s got her girlfriend over, and while Izzy likes Lily plenty, she’s happy to give the two of them some space.

Since it’s holiday season, she decides to order a gingerbread latte, but as she walks to the counter she realises there aren’t any staff around. Izzy dings the little bell on the counter top and a door behind the coffee machines flies open, the pretty ginger barista almost tripping out of it. 

“Sorry,” she says hastily, wiping her fingers on her apron, “what can I get you?” She stops short as she catches sight of Izzy, then smiles. “It’s you. Hi.”

“Hey,” says Izzy. She gives the barista - Clary, closer examination of her name tag reveals - her order and throws in a blondie too, then gets comfortable at her usual table. The view of the counter is kind of cute from there - she can see through to the staff side of the counter, but none of the customers, so she amuses herself by guessing the type of person Clary is serving based on facial expression and body language alone.

To be fair, the girl is pretty peppy. Maybe it’s because she’s only on week two of her job. 

“Here you go,” Clary says, bringing the drink and treat over a few minutes later. 

After an hour and a half, Izzy’s brain is getting slightly fried and she gives herself a break. When she checks her phone she finds a couple of messages from Alec freaking out about something Magnus-related, so she invites him to the coffee shop so they can talk about it. 

Izzy’s doodling in the margin of her textbook rather than actually reading anything when he arrives a little later. In her defence, she is idly drawing chemical compound diagrams, so it kind of counts as productive. She notices the shadow fall over her table and looks up eagerly, expecting Clary, but it’s Alec.

“Oh. It’s you,” she says.

“Thanks,” he says, apparently very offended. “You did invite me, didn’t you?”

Izzy rolls her eyes but she’s smiling anyway. He’s in the middle of unloading the Magnus drama (lack of inspiration about Christmas presents) when Clary brings his coffee over. Izzy can’t tear her eyes away and makes a truly awful joke which has both Clary and Alec snorting, though Clary seems amused and Alec gleeful that she’s not being smooth in the slightest.

Something about Clary just makes Izzy go fluttery inside. It’s not fair.

Izzy kicks Alec under the table for the look on his face.

“What?” he asks, rubbing his shin. “I was enjoying you looking silly in front of your crush.”

“Shut up,” Izzy whines. “Which of us fell down the stairs after their first kiss?”

Alec glares at her. “I didn’t fall down the stairs, I tripped over the doorway. Anyway. How do you know her?”

Izzy raises an eyebrow. “She works here.”

Alec pulls a face. “Oh, that’s all? You seem…”

But he doesn’t finish his sentence, and Izzy doesn’t quite know what to make of that.

∞

A couple of weeks pass. Izzy finds herself stopping at the shop more and more often, in a bid to get all her papers and exams done. She manages it without too many caffeine crashes, and then she’s home for the holidays. Christmas and New Years become a blur of pretending she’s still Daddy’s little girl, biting back retorts to her mother’s snide comments about Alec and Magnus, and stuffing herself silly with good food and alcohol. Having Alec, Jace and Max around makes the occasions bearable, though, and she misses spending time with them like they used to.

Alec only teases her about her crush on the coffee shop girl once, but he does it in the vicinity of Jace and Max - and of course, _they’re_ not the type to let it go, damn it.

When Izzy gets back to college, her schedule has let up a bit but she still has nine am classes, so she returns to frequenting Java Jones.

They do really good coffee. That’s what she tells her brothers.

It’s not like she’s disappointed when she doesn’t see Clary.

∞

“Hey, Izzy!”

Clary’s calling after her as she leaves the shop, so she says goodbye to her friends and waves them off ahead of her. 

“Hey, what’s up?” she asks, adjusting her bag on her shoulder. It’s heavy under the weight of several folders and her laptop, but may mysteriously be missing her textbook.

Clary holds out a pathology course book. “I think you forgot this.” Her cheeks go a little pink when their fingers brush as Izzy takes the book from her, and Izzy smiles.

“Thanks, lifesaver.”

Clary shrugs. “You have nice writing, by the way,” she says, eyes never leaving Izzy’s even though her cheeks colour more, which -

Izzy’s heart skips. The note she left - _I think you’re super cute_ \- found it’s mark.

“If you think I’ve got nice writing you should see my phone number,” Izzy suggests with a smile. 

Clary tilts her head, narrowing her eyes. “Did you just rip off Friends?” she asks, lips curving upwards.

“Don’t tell anyone,” Izzy says conspiratorially.

“One condition,” Clary says, taking a step closer to Izzy. “You go on a date with me.”

Izzy can’t help the happy laugh that escapes her. “What did you have in mind?” 

“Wait, is that a yes?” Clary asks, seeming a little shocked. “Sure. Great. I mean, what did you want to do?”

Izzy moves even closer to Clary. “One of my friends is having a party tonight at his apartment. Not a party party, just a chill thing - he’s got a rooftop garden, it’s really pretty. If you want?”

Clary nods. “Yeah, that sounds good.”

Her face twists for all of a second before she’s leaning in to kiss Izzy’s cheek, a brush of lips against skin. She smells like flowers and it feels like fireworks are going off in Izzy’s chest, and as she watches Clary skip back to the counter she thinks she might be falling in love.

∞

Clary agrees to meet Izzy at Magnus’ loft - as it turns out, Clary’s parents are going out somewhere this evening too, so they’re giving her a lift. 

Izzy arrives at Magnus’ a little after seven, and he greets her with a hug when he opens the door. Izzy spots Clary almost immediately, her eyes drawn to the girl. She’s wearing a cute plaid skirt with a loose white blouse, clutching a solo cup and talking to a middle-aged couple, the woman with red hair and the man with dark hair.

“My date’s here,” she tells Magnus excitedly, and he follows her line of sight.

“Clary?” he asks, sounding a little surprised.

“You know her already?” Izzy asks, eyes fully on Magnus now.

“She’s a family friend,” he explains. “Well, her parents are. I used to babysit for her, actually.”

Izzy’s aghast. “God, you’re old,” she teases, and he swats her away, laughing.

“I prefer the term ‘distinguished’,” he says, and then the doorbell rings so he stops and doubles back. “A bunch of people have already gone up to the roof,” he says as he leaves to answer the door.

Izzy hovers behind a pillar for a moment, checking her make up on the reflection of her phone screen, then appears beside Clary. 

“Hey,” she says, nudging her with her elbow.

Clary turns to her, a smile already lighting up her face. “Hey!” Then she blushes a beautiful shade of pink. “Uh, so the thing is. Don’t freak out, it’s not a big deal.”

Izzy arches an eyebrow. “Well, now you’ve said that, I’m _definitely_ freaking out.”

Clary’s lips twitch. “So, you know I said my parents were going out tonight too?” She gestures to the two adults she’s standing with, the ones Izzy had seen earlier. “This is my mom and dad.”

Izzy’s eyes go wide but she tries to cover her surprise. “Oh. Hi,” she adds. “It’s nice to meet you, I’m Isabelle.”

The two share a conspiratorial glance.

“I’m Luke, this is Jocelyn,” says Luke. Izzy sort of waves, and Clary licks her lips.

“We’ve heard a lot about you,” Jocelyn says, sending her daughter a teasing look.

“Mom!” Clary groans.

Izzy laughs, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “Come on, let me show you the garden. Although you might already know your way around - Magnus said he used to babysit you.”

This clearly delights Luke and Jocelyn, who both grin.

“Time for the baby pictures to come out,” Luke says, pulling his wallet out. He flips it open and shows Izzy the photo stored there - a younger version of the three of them, stood hugging in front of the Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom. 

Izzy _awws_ as Clary huffs. 

“Try not to scare her away, please. It’s only our first date.”

Luke looks to Clary, mildly abashed. “Sorry. I thought you’d been together a while, from what you’d been saying about Isabelle.”

“Ooh, what have you been saying?” Izzy asks, intrigued, and as Jocelyn opens her mouth Clary pulls Izzy away.

“Rooftop garden!” she blurts out, clasping Izzy’s hand in hers. She doesn’t seem too put out, though, laughing along with Izzy, Luke and Jocelyn, even if it is at her own expense.

They climb the stairs hand in hand, which honestly makes moving a little more complicated but Izzy doesn’t care. Clary’s hands are adorned with rings and charms, and her nails aren’t painted, though they’re tipped with ink stains. Izzy clasps Clary’s hand tighter.

There are lots of people milling about the rooftop, some Izzy recognises and some she doesn’t. Jace is there, talking to Alec. She catches sight of Magnus’ friends Ragnor, Catarina, and Raphael, who’s standing with a boy Izzy doesn’t recognise, though Clary clearly does, because she waves at him.

Izzy and Clary join a group of people making animated conversation, and the evening lulls along in waves of interaction with people, and all the while Izzy keeps Clary’s hand in her own. Clary stands close to her, their shoulders brushing, the smell of her hair surrounding Izzy, and it’s honestly one of the best evenings she’s had in a long time.

∞

Clary comes back up to the roof, carrying two solo cups, approaching Izzy. Jace, who’s standing with her, looks between the pair and smiles.

“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he says lowly to Izzy, then kisses her forehead and leaves with a smile at Clary.

“My brother,” Izzy explains, and Clary nods. She stands beside Izzy, their hands just touching on the railing around the roof. The party’s a little quieter now, but music and chatter can still be heard.

Wind tosses Clary’s hair. She looks ethereal in the light of the city.

“I can’t believe we went to the same party my parents did for our first date,” Clary laughs. She runs a ringed hand through her hair.

Izzy smiles. “I like them,” she says. Then, with an easy shrug, “we can do something different next time.”

She tries to remain nonchalant, but can’t help meeting Clary’s eye with a glint of doubt.

Clary is looking at her, her eyes a swirl of emotion: surprise, excitement, _happiness_.

“I’d like that,” she says. She nudges closer to Izzy, and her hand comes up to cup the side of Izzy’s face, fingers tangling in her hair. Izzy’s breath hitches and she smiles brightly at Clary.

“Kiss me,” she whispers, and Clary does. It’s tentative, at first, a brush of lips, the promise of something more. 

Clary lets out a soft breath, and then she’s kissing Izzy again, deeper, with more determination. Izzy rests her hands against Clary’s waist, stroking her skin over the material of her blouse. She tilts her head, parting her lips, she licks along Clary’s bottom lip. A quiet moan is drawn from Clary’s chest, and if Izzy could only listen to one sound for the rest of her life, that would be it.

∞

Unsurprisingly, Izzy returns to Java Jones almost everyday after that. 

Clary, true to her word, has apparently been practicing her latte art, and now Izzy gets cappuccinos to go with love hearts and sappy messages swirled in the top. It would make her blush if she was the blushing type. Instead, she just hops onto the counter, ignoring Clary’s protestations about health and safety rules, and kisses Clary’s cheek in thanks.

∞

They find themselves fitting easily into each other’s friendship groups. Well, really, the groups just get mashed up and mixed together, because most of them know each other already. It’s almost some weird cosmic joke that it was pure chance, Izzy and Clary meeting like that, rather than some well-intentioned introduction on the part of one of their friends.

Probably Magnus.

Clary’s living at home while she attends art school, so the Frays’ loft becomes their regular hang out spot. Jocelyn’s usually squirrelled away in her studio, but when Luke gets home from the police precinct he’ll crash on the couches with them, thoroughly enjoying playing up the embarrassing dad routine. 

It usually ends with Clary burying her red face in Izzy’s shoulder, which Izzy can’t say she minds too much.

Today, though, they’re alone in Izzy’s room. Clary has now met Maia a couple of times before, and they’d gone on a double date with Maia and Lily a couple of weeks ago. But Maia had just looked between the pair of them and left with a smirk, telling them not to get too loud.

Izzy grins and Clary can’t keep her eyes off the bed, and the moment Maia leaves Clary pulls Izzy down on top of her, kissing her like it’s the only thing she knows how to do.

∞

Clary nestles against Izzy’s pillow after, a sleepy, contented smile on her face.

“What’s your middle name?” she asks, eyes closed.

Izzy studies her: the slope of her nose, the curve of her top lip, the dark lines of her eyelashes against her pale skin. She’s beautiful.

“Sophia,” she says, almost absently. “You make me happy, _mi amor._ ”

Clary opens her eyes, smiling softly at Izzy. She tips her head forward, kissing Izzy gently.

“You make me happy, too.” 

Izzy smiles and leans her head against Clary’s chest, wrapping her arms around her. Late afternoon sunlight filters in over the two of them, and as she snuggles against Clary, she feels at home.


End file.
